Of Magic and Dragons Among Other Lores
by Amazing Tea Queen of Pillows
Summary: A series of events triggered by the meeting of two people could change an entire country's fate. With dragons returning, civil war on the rise, and the assassins of the infamous Dark Brotherhood chasing them, all Roy and Riza can do is stick together and pull through to survive, but not without some obstacles. [Medieval Fantasy AU, Royai].
1. 16th of Morning Star

**ONE OF THE AUTHOR'S NOTE (The Queen of Tea) AND ONLY ONE BECAUSE THIS IS A DUAL FFN ACCOUNT:**

**Alright, listen up here, milk-drinkers. This is an FMA/Skyrim crossover AU and the only reason(s) this isn't in the Elder Scrolls crossover section is because:**

**Let's be honest, no one even checks that place, this fic would get nowhere there...**

**It's not so much of a crossover as it is a Medieval Fantasy AU, so really, you don't need to play Skyrim or any other Elder Scrolls game to read this fanfic.**

**Anyway, this chapter wasn't proof-read by another person or "an outside eye" as they say, so if anyone wants to volunteer as a beta-reader, you are welcome to. Leave a review or send me a message and I will get back to you. We have over 22,000 words written so far.**

**Yes this fic was written by two people (we call ourselves The Queen of Tea and The Amazing Pillow). It was written via tumblr roleplay posts because we figured it would be easier than to sit down and try to type it up each chapter individually or together, etc. I will provide a link to the blogs at the end.**

**VERY IMPORTANT NOTE TO READER: Riza's age was changed for convenience and due to creative opinion (WE DO WHAT WE WANT). Just a warning so there will be no surprises or reviews stating that it is her incorrect age.**

**I'm done explaining, enjoy the read.**

**-Author's note ends-**

**Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim belong to Hiromu Arakawa and Bethesda Softworks, respectively.**

**Rating: M for violence, sexual content in later chapters, coarse language and other mature themes.**

**Pairing: Royai (Roy X Riza), more will show up in later chapters.**

* * *

**_4th Era, Year 201, 16_****_th_****_ of Morning Star (January)_**

Roy pushed the tavern doors open and walked inside. He made his way past a few tables with chattering customers and took a seat at the counter. After dropping his bag at his feet, Mustang glanced at the inn owner from under his heavy hood. The Arch Mage was not in the best of moods, his face grim and unfriendly. His left arm was tightly bandaged under the layers of clothing that kept him warm, but the uncomfortable feeling of blood seeping through fabric was already getting on Roy's nerves. All he was really looking for here was a dry bed and a drink to warm him up after a long way in knee-deep snow.

"Nord Mead. One bottle will do."

_Damn all the hirelings, every last one of them is no good... Why couldn't he just think faster, for Talos's sake? _Roy leaned on the counter and reached for his coin purse, _Ah well, it's all my damn fault anyway, should have known better than to hire a swordsman._

Morthal was one of the many dingy cities scattered across the cold and war-torn land. It is located in Hjaalmarch, just south of Solitude which is the capital city of the province of Skyrim. Just like any other city in this cold province, Morthal had its own inn that every visitor spent their nights at, if not at the brothel next door. It was known as the Moorside Inn, and the innkeeper was a woman called Jonna.

Upon seeing the overcast face of the hooded man donned in mage robes that entered her inn, Jonna knew right away that some coin was coming her way. When he sat down and took his order, she merely nodded and put down a single bottle on the counter under his nose.

"That will be five septims for one bottle. But I gotta say, you look like you are in need of something stronger," she said in an attempt to barter with the mage.

A roar of laughter erupted from behind him, and a barking command for the volumes to be kept down followed. It was not even ten in the eve yet, and some people were already chugging down mead and spiced wine to drink themselves silly, while others sat solemnly in their seats and rolled their eyes at such doltish behaviour.

Of the several hooded people in the food hall, one flinched in their seat, startled by the sudden noise. Riza sighed, keeping her head low and her face out of view to avoid unnecessary attention.

_Honestly, this is only slightly worse than in Dragonbridge…do people behave like that in all of the nine holds?_ She picked up her fork and proceeded to finish her meal. The sooner she finished eating, the sooner she could leave the raucous and unruly hall.

Gods, the drunks were by far Roy's least favourite people. _After assassins and the Thalmor… _thought Roy, glaring over his shoulder as if his eyes could immediately silence the crowd. Upon turning his back to it, he noticed a bottle of mead standing before him. The Arch Mage's fingers untied the leather purse and pulled out five coins, his eyes looking over the woman behind the counter. He put the coins down.

"I said one will do."

To begin with, he wasn't even going to stop at Morthal. Mustang was travelling for the past three weeks; he was visiting Markarth in the far west of Skyrim and was heading north to Dawnstar, the capital city of The Pale. As much as it bothered Mustang to change his plans, this time it was necessary - there was a deep gash in his arm and now that Roy sent his hired companion to an eternal vacation, he had no one to cover his back.

"I also need a room for the night," Roy said and reached for his mead and opened the bottle, all with his right hand.

"That would be eight septims a night, special promotion today instead of ten," Jonna replied. She slid the coins off the counter into her palm, and tucked them away into her coin purse. The noise level at her inn hardly bothered her at all. Every day there are rumbles of the hearty laughs of Nords, or the bickering of stuck-up Wood Elves who would pick on a person of any other race apart from their own. She merely chuckled and shook her head at her customers' erratic behaviour, but had kept her eyes open on the likes of the Khajiit and Argonians, they were easy to spot since they looked like over-sized cats and lizards, respectively. People of those particular two races had a tendency to trade Skooma, which was illegal drug dealing business. Jonna noticed her customer's rather glum mood, and that the tone of his voice matched it.

"Something bothering you, boy?" she asked the mage, more concerned about her question being a conversation starter rather than an inquiry of his well being. Travelers were always interesting folk to observe for an innkeeper like her.

Roy looked up at the woman behind the counter as his right hand reached to get out more money. The coin purse was almost empty, but it was one of a few. The last thing Mustang had to worry about was money.

"Yeah, great time. You wouldn't like one of your arms injured because of someone who should be helping you fight your enemies, would you?" he took a sip of his mead, looking away for a moment. Roy was quite used to overly loud customers, but in his current mood everything seemed to be getting on his nerves.

"I don't do much fighting of my own, as you can tell," she said and gestured to her own age-worn face. "But no, I suppose I would not like that at all," Jonna answered simply. "You sure you don't need some healing potions rather than a bottle full of mead?" Jonna asked upon seeing blood seeping through his clothing on his left shoulder, which was not an unusual sight around here.

Behind him everything carried on as usual, despite of some irregular customers audaciously complaining about noise levels. A pair of Orcs eyed Mustang distastefully and exchanged a number of words (Orcs generally don't like anyone who isn't one of their kind). One of them had an axe strapped to his back; the second Orc - like many others in the inn that evening - carried a bow with him.

"Ah no, it's alright, mead will do. I've got potions of my own," he replied to the inn-keeper's question. _Frankly, I already drank two on my way here. _The wound was not life-threatening, but it was annoying to be injured out of the stupidity of his own follower. Roy looked back at Jonna, putting down his payment for the room.

"The wound is minor anyway," he sighed. "Unfortunately, I cannot conjure up a perfect companion for myself. Would have made things so much simpler."

"Having trouble with your traveling companions, huh? I've heard hired followers are a great help, perhaps you've just got bad luck choosing the right ones," she mused.

"Yeah, bad luck, that's for sure…" Mustang took another gulp of his mead, feeling his stomach warm up. Now that he was sitting indoors, the Arch Mage felt how tired he actually was. The change of course came up early in the morning, after one of the bandits who ambushed him and the hireling drew his blade across Roy's arm. He could have easily escaped the blow if it wasn't for his companion, a swordsman who mingled between Mustang and the attackers, standing in the way of the mage's spells. The bandits were all but unsuccessful, however Mustang was fuming and his follower did a smart thing to take his leave. By now the long walk in the snow, the heavy travelling bag weighing him down, and his bleeding wound exhausted Roy so much he just wanted to lie down anywhere.

"So you fancy yourself a mage, hm?" Jonna asked as a response to Mustang's comment on conjuring, she leaned closer against the counter. "Then no wonder you have trouble finding a good traveling companion, most of them prefer fighting up close; sellswords are a more common sight than skeevers, I swear. That's no good for mages, you should know that by now, young man," Jonna shook her head and wagged her index finger at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I've learned that alright," Roy looked up at woman's face. "I should probably find a good archer next time."

"That you do. You sure you don't want a meal with that?" Jonna asked, nodding at the bottle of mead in his hands. "Mead is prone to cause some trouble on an empty stomach, 'specially if you are injured," picking up a rag, she started to wipe the wooden counter-top.

_Perhaps I should eat a little before resting…_ After all potions weren't enough to feed his body. Besides, the last thing Roy wanted to be doing was getting drunk. Injured or not, he tried to keep his appetites rather mild when it came to alcohol.

"I suppose you are right, I could use some food. Baked potatoes and a roast if you please. And an apple."

Reaching into his coin purse again, Roy realized that food was actually a very sound idea - his stomach growled.

"Coming right up!" Jonna chirped, put her rag away and jotted down his order. "Oh, and you're in luck, we've got something of an arrow-shooting target-hitting contest going on here in Morthal tomorrow morn near the bridge. That might be of some interest to you if you are looking to get an archer for a companion," she said and turned away to serve other waiting customers.

_Archery competition, hm? Well am I lucky or what…. _Mustang smirked to himself as the innkeeper turned away. He wouldn't have minded traveling alone for some while, but with his arm in such poor condition it would be preferable to have a companion at least for the first week. Of course he could stay in Morthal until it healed but Roy was never the kind to stall an expedition because of a bleeding wound. Besides, that scroll he was going after was way too rare to wait around.

_Would only give somebody else the chance to get it first. Yet, precautions are never a luxury._

Roy took one more sip of his mead. He was always generous with the sellswords, and if there was an archer tomorrow who could impress the Arch Mage, they would be getting quite a coin for watching his back.

It was getting pretty late, but the inn was filling up more people who were looking to stay the night. Riza took it as a cue to leave and retreat to her rented room when a group of chortling travelers walked in through the entry door. Staying in a crowded area was not a good idea, she could risk running into someone familiar or be recognized, and then forced to go back to the Blue Palace in the capital city of Solitude. She stood up from her seat, fixed her short cloak, picked up her bow and walked up to the bar counter where the innkeeper serves her customers.

"A bucket of water for the barrel," Riza muttered and placed a few coins on the counter.

Jonna nodded. She picked up the coins, and walked off to tend to other customers. Riza plopped down on a bar stool, leaned forward on her elbows and sighed, her hood still looming over her face and casting a shadow down to her nose. She waited for Jonna to return with her order.

The inn was getting more crowded by the minute. Mustang shifted on his stool impatiently, his stomach nagging for food. The mead was already making him sleepy. His eyes watched Jonna as she took an order from a hooded female with a bow.

_Come on woman, bring me my food…_

Jonna made a few more rounds taking other customers' orders. She strode away, throwing a "Coming right up!" at a customer behind herself. Finally, she came back around and pushed a plate of food under Roy's nose, and then rolled an apple right beside it.

"Here you go, young man. Enjoy your meal." Jonna winked at him and walked away once more.

Riza watched the innkeeper buzz around behind the counter, walking back and forth between customers, and in and out of the back room. She sighed. Judging by the number of people waiting for their orders, Riza guessed she would be stuck waiting for a bucket of water for a while longer than she preferred.

A man sitting by her left laughed loudly and leaned back, pushing her. He swayed around in his seat and slurred out "Sorry, girlie."

Riza rolled her eyes and ignored him._ The drunks are just begging to get shot_. She shifted one seat over to the right, beside another man dressed in mage robes.

She leaned forward on her elbows over the counter again, shoulders slumping. Riza thought of the possibility of pulling the status card and demanding her order be given to her quicker, but she didn't want to be dragged back to Solitude for a price reward just yet.

Roy was growing tiresome of the continuous chatter and thundering laughter all around him. Being a traveller for the past ten years, he usually did not mind loud taverns (as long as he wasn't surrounded by raging drunks), but his current mood could hardly tolerate this level of noise.

Then finally his order was set in front of him. Grumbling something in his head, Roy managed to nod politely (or so he thought at least) at the inn keeper and picked up his plate, balancing it on one palm. _No, forget it, I have to use a tray. _

Luckily, the serving maids and the innkeeper herself were too busy with customers to keep everything in perfect order - there were a few trays within Roy's reach. Just when Mustang's hand clasped one of them, someone took the seat to his left.

_Time to run, before people start sitting in my lap… _Roy quickly gathered his orders and got up, holding the tray with his left hand._ If any asshole pushes me as I walk, they will be in for some roasting…_

Despite his apprehension, Roy's trip to his room was rather uneventful. The door was open, a very cozy-looking (or was he just feeling that exhausted?) bed placed right across from it.

_Finally,_ thought the Arch Mage with relief as he closed the door, making the voices from the hall die down. Roy locked the door and crawled onto the bed, ignoring every table manner known to him and starting to chew on his meal before as much as kicking off his boots and pushing several scrolls off his bed._ Just don't forget, archery contest is on the morrow…_

Jonna had time to serve at least six more customers until she turned to Riza and motioned for her to wait some more.

_This is taking a ridiculously long time. _Grumbling inwardly, she peered at what was seemingly two of her "competitors" sitting around the corner of the L-shaped counter. It was a fellow Wood Elf man, and a woman who could have passed for a Nord or an Imperial (the difference is almost non-existent these days). They appeared to be bickering. Riza thought she overheard the Bosmer (Bosmer is another word for Wood Elf) boast to a flock of women earlier, but paid no mind to it. She quickly looked away as Jonna finally placed a bucket of lukewarm water in front of her (it wasn't steaming, but it couldn't possibly be cold, it would be too inhospitable if it was).

"What's gotten you so alert and worried, dear?" Jonna asked, squinting at Riza.

"Nothing. Thank you for your customs." Riza replied curtly, and practically snatched the bucket off the counter with her hands.

She could not see Jonna's face from underneath the hood, but supposed it was a good thing because it meant that Jonna could not see her face, either. Recognition is a risk Riza could not afford to take, even though most people had the least of an idea what she looked like, it may even be unbelievable if she were to tell them herself who she is. Still, it never hurt to be careful. She got up from her seat and hurried away to the barrel room where guests typically bathed. It wasn't much, and definitely not a luxury, especially compared to the basins at the Blue Palace she had gotten used to in the past couple of years, but it was enough and there was nothing better available for travelers anyway. She didn't take her time, and got out of there as quickly as possible.

Back at the comfort of her own inn room, Riza locked the door and leaned against it, breathing a sigh of relief. Every day of travelling was a gamble, because at any given moment someone will see her and make the connection that she is the same woman – or still a girl - who ran away from her grandfather, High King Grumman, eight days after the New Life festival (celebration of the new year all around Tamriel; Skyrim is a province in Tamriel out of several). She has been almost two weeks gone, and when she returns, an earful from the elderly man joined with a complete lock-up was guaranteed.

_I just need a bit more time, two weeks at the very least least, and I might find out what to do with these three words, perhaps get rid of them...If only I could somehow make my way to the Grey Beards up at the Throat of the World...they might have the best ounce of an idea for what needs to be done._

Riza changed, put out the oil lamp on the end table, then crashed on the bed and slowly drifted to sleep. While slipping into unconsciousness, she hoped that some divine power from the eight gods will kindly allow her to win the prize money in the archery contest the next day, so she would be able to afford to travel alone for a while more.

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**Wonder what Riza meant by "these three words"? Oh well, you'll have to wait for the next update to find out. Next update will come in future time.**

**Here are tumblr URL names of both characters since links cannot be posted:**

**tumblr URL name of Roy's RP blog (Run by The Amazing Pillow who has no FFN account [yet?]): archmagemustang**

**tumblr URL name of Riza's RP blog (Run by The Queen of Tea): hawkeyedwoodelf**

**Please leave a review and tell us how we're doing so far, they will be much appreciated even if it's negative criticism.**


	2. 17th of Morning Star

**Author's Note:**

**It seems that The Amazing Pillow won't show up this time since she hasn't gotten around to really review any of the chapters an then post them, but credit must be given to her as this idea was conceived in both of our brains (the way I formed this sentence makes me a bit uncomfortable). She also has an FFN account now so look that up (The Amazing Pillow) but she hasn't posted any stories as of yet...**

_**I do most of the dirty paperwork, no wonder I roleplay Riza in this particular story...**_

_**I'm kidding. Love you, Pillow. But you should really update sometime...**_

**This is the second installment of ****_Of Magic and Dragons Among Other Lores_****. We're still calling out to anyone to be a beta-reader. This chapter is obnoxiously longer than the first one too. We'd also like some reviews to know how we're doing (lack of reviews won't stop this story from updating, but it would still be nice if we did get some intel...).**

**On that note, please enjoy the story!**

**- Insincerely, ****_The Queen of Tea_**

**-Author's note ends-**

**Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim belong to Hiromu Arakawa and Bethesda Softworks, respectively.**

**Rating: M for violence, sexual content in later chapters, coarse language and other mature themes.**

**Pairing: Royai (Roy X Riza), more will show up in later chapters.**

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**_ 4th Era, Year 201, 17_****_th_****_ of Morning Star (January)_**

Surprisingly enough, Roy did not sleep through the archery contest the next morning. Roy was woken up by children who decided to enact a Stormcloacks versus Imperials battle right outside of his door. Mustang hardly found it amusing.

"Note to self: another good reason not to ever get a child," he muttered grumpily, rising from the bed after "Imperials" outside got some reinforcements and the noise tripled. A girl squealed with laughter right outside his door, reminding Mustang of Elicia. That little one was beyond doubt too adorable to be angry with, just as her father kept reminding to the general public. Roy instantly lost his spite toward the kids out in the hall as a mirage of Maes Hughes' smiling face appeared in his mind. It has been almost three months since he got a chance to visit his best friend, but even now Roy was headed to Dawnstar, not to Solitude where Hughes resided. He was beginning to miss even the annoying side of Maes' personality.

Mustang washed his face and got dressed quickly, glancing at his reflection in a small dirty mirror on the wall. He pinned his dark blue cloak with a silver pin shaped as the symbol of his College, letting the heavy fabric conceal the dim browns of the traditional headmaster's robes. Roy left his bag in the room, taking only a coin purse and the key, and quickly manoeuvred between half a dozen or so playing children after locking his door.

He wanted to see the contestants warm up and decided not to waste time for breakfast. Roy just grabbed an apple from a servant tossing him a couple of coins and left the inn, completely forgetting to change the bandages on his arm.

But of course Roy came out too early. Even strolling at a slow pace and gazing about as he walked, Roy got to the shooting area near the bridge at least twenty minutes before the start.

It did not quite occur to him that the bows and arrows will be provided so that competitors have the same chances of winning._ Spare the possibility the referee being bribed to give out a couple of faulty bows_, Roy thought but instantly countered that thought - this was merely an archery competition, not even in a very large city (he always thought Morthal to be more a large village) and, he reckoned, the prize wasn't too big either. He was too used to thinking of how things went wrong.

_It is indeed unlikely that someone would be able to bribe the referee…_ Thinking as such, Roy leaned against an old oak tree, pulling up his hood when a drop of dew hit his nose.

At least his early arrival gave the time for observation. He watched people gather, standing a bit away from the shooting grounds. Some started to chat, the crowd grew bigger and livelier. Soon came a Bosmer man who was loudly bragging (or was he complaining about something? Roy couldn't tell from where he was standing) who made a poor impression on Mustang by getting into an argument with a woman, seemingly an Imperial, who was an archer too. It was something about him dragging his own bow and quiver along.

_This one won't be my first choice… _Roy tried to note which people were suitable for a traveling companion; his gaze shifted to stop on two Orcs he'd seen in the inn yesternight. Neither one of them looked any friendlier than before, and he still remembered their glares.

_For now it is a no_.

There were a few Nords who seemed more used to war axes than to bows, but one can never know for sure...

Riza awoke with a start to the sound of screaming and stomping. She sat up and her arm shot out towards the direction her bow and quiver that lay on the end table, only to realize that the noise came from the kids playing and making a racket out in the hall, not a bandit ambush as she initially thought. Riza huffed and fell back on the pillow, her heart rate slowing from the sudden spike in speed. It was only natural for her to be paranoid about these kinds of things, as past unpleasant experiences have proven to her time and time again that you could never know when a pack of bandits will attack you in your place of residence. With her eyes closed, she dozed off for a few more minutes, and perhaps a few too many. It wasn't normal for her to sleep in, not even for a little, but something about today brought a foreboding feeling of dread. She couldn't put her finger on what it was...perhaps just a reluctance to make a fool out of herself in the public eye...but why?

_Wait, today is...wasn't there supposed to be..._ Her eyes snapped open and she shot up in her bed again. She glanced outside the window, and judging by the light of the sun she presumed it can't be much earlier than noon.

_The contest!_ _What time is it?! It must begin in less than five minutes!_

Swinging her feet off the side of the bed she threw off her sleeping shirt and got dressed rapidly (sure, nightgowns are a custom, but they were too long, uncomfortable, delicate, and impractical and she was glad to say she did not bring along a single one on her journey). She ran towards the door with one hand pulling her cloak over her head while the other pulled her boot up her leg. She stopped in her tracks and spun around, running back to the nightstand and leaving her bow and quiver which she grabbed purely out of every-day habit. Riza remembered that arrows and bows will be provided to the contestants, so that all of them would use the same quality for a proper evaluation of skill. It would be a fair trial.

Riza dashed outside the inn door, not bothering to grab a bite. She glanced at the sun dial outside the inn as she ran by.

_That's it. I'm late. Perhaps I shouldn't bother showing up? _But even with that in mind she kept running.

She arrived in the designated area beside a bridge. Fortunately, it seemed that the contest hasn't begun yet and she was on time. There were a number of people present, approximately fifteen of them contestants, and some standing off at the side. _Observers_, Riza presumed. As she expected, the Bosmer man and Imperial woman (or Nord? You could never tell these days) were there, bickering once more. The Bosmer man had a bow with him.

"You idiot! They specifically mentioned not to bring your own bow!" The Imperial woman sneered at him, he grumbled some snide remark about the practice bows not being worth a shit against his own overpriced one.

Riza ignored them and took a look around once more. The targets were up. People were present. But the referee was missing, along with the bows and arrows. _All that hassle I went through to get ready in a hurry, over nothing_. Riza muttered an inaudible curse under her breath and walked to a nearby tree, leaned back on it and waited. _Ah well, better that I arrived earlier than the judge._

As the referee appeared and the archers started gathering, Roy also saw a young Nord...or well, he wasn't sure of the race - a hood obscured her face. She wasn't in the spectators' crowd, so he presumed her to be a competitor as well.

_Shall wait and see. Would prefer to take a man along, but well, will have to see how they all shoot first. _

Roy's eyes moved on, examining the other archers' behaviour as the referee's helpers set up the targets and the warm up was announced.

"I am so sorry for the delay!" The referee came bounding in with two more people pushing two carts containing the necessary equipment. As they were setting up, the referee stood in front of the lined-up archers.

"So, is everyone present?" He asked as he counted them with his finger, "Ah, it seems we're missing one person…no matter! We will not wait for late-comers," he declared. An assistant came around to hand out standard wooden hunting bows.

"As you know, this contest will be fair and square! Therefore the same bows and arrows will be provided to all of you, as you've been informed. And of course, there will be no exceptions." The referee shot the Bosmer man a look of contempt.

"The rules are simple enough! I shall offer you a series of challenges, one after another," he explained. "The first few are relatively easy, but they gradually increase in difficulty. A person who doesn't complete a challenge successfully gets disqualified. Once everyone has been disqualified, and one person remains, that person is the victor and shall receive our grand prize. There will also be smaller prizes provided to the second and third place, seeing as we have enough people signed up to make that a possibility."

This made Riza perk up a bit, giving her slightly more hope that she might have a chance of winning some amount of gold in the end, even if she wasn't in first place.

A woman passed by her and handed her a bow, Riza took it and examined it carefully. It wasn't much, but it was possible to shoot out of it and still hit the bulls-eye. Hopefully the arrows were just as mediocre, and not worse.

"Without further ado, let's begin," the referee concluded his pre-face and picked up a quiver full of sharpened iron arrows (which aren't very good quality, but do-able, just as Riza thought). "The first challenge is to shoot all three targets in the centre within a span of fifteen seconds. You must have your feet planted here…" He said and pointed at a circle drawn in the gravel some distance away from the targets.

_Easy enough, _Riza thought, but kept in mind that the challenges will get much harder in a few.

"Who would like to go first?" He asked, and a large bulky Orc, one of the two, stepped up and walked to stand in the circle. "Alright then! Here are your arrows." The referee handed him the quiver and stepped away. "Prepare your bow…good, good. Your fifteen seconds begin…_now_." With that, the competition has begun.

Roy has finished his apple by the time half of the competitors were out of the contest. It was round four and there were still eight archers left, so he didn't even pay attention to the losers; they could not possibly match for him as companions.

Someone was yet to impress the Arch Mage beyond words (which was very unusual in itself), if such a thing would even happen. As the contest went on, Roy scrutinized every archer, trying to assess both their abilities to shoot and make out what kind of a companion they'd make. Rounds four and five have passed, and as the referee raised the level of difficulty, the show was finally becoming more interesting. It was somewhat a relief when that obnoxious Bosmer, whom Roy personally considered an idiotic loudmouth (no harsh judgement), failed in round six, following a couple of hot-headed young Nords, a Redguard, and an Argonian.

_Thank the Divines, I will not even talk to him…_ Now, as round seven commenced and Mustang's eyes returned to the remaining contestants, curiosity stirred in him. There were only three left: the same Imperial or Nord woman, the huge Orc that opened the contest, and a young Bosmer, or well, he was pretty sure she was a Bosmer due to sighting an elf ear in the split second her hood slipped off only to be hastily thrown back on over her head again. The Imperial had a steady aim, and seemed the travelling type. Roy thought her quite suited for his companion. The fact that her features were plain and did not kindle any interest in him as a man was more than pleasing. The Orc did not look friendly in the slightest, but then again, has he ever met an Orc that did? Hardly so. But the guy looked battle-worn and had, it seemed, arms of steel. Now the last one... She wore a hood, so Roy had trouble making out her face from where he stood. She looked a traveller too, and turned out to be very good with her bow and arrows, but Roy wanted to see her up close before thinking more on't - even clad in leathers and wrapped in a cloak she did seem fairly young.

The Imperial woman was eliminated in the seventh round, but regardless, Roy already decided to speak to her. He was glad she did not leave the shooting grounds but just snapped at the Bosmer man who was quick to make a mocking remark as she walked to the side and leaned on a tree. Now there were only two archers left.

The two contestants were Riza and the same Orc who broke the ice. He was probably about four to five heads taller than her, and he was very bulky, as most Orc men were. She caught him giving her a suspicious and doubtful look prior to the competition.

_Why him? Of all people… _She could have sworn that every time she passed a challenge, the Orc glared daggers at her when she didn't notice. It might have just been her imagination playing tricks on her due to the apprehension and uneasiness she felt in the duration of the contest.

_Oh calm down, someone has yet to make the connection between you and the missing girl, and what are the chances that anyone will anytime soon?_

The referee cleared his throat, Riza and the Orc stood at attention.

"Well well, judging by how far you two have gone, I think this calls for a much more challenging test!" He announced, "I want you to shoot three arrows into the bullseye within ten seconds, easy enough, right?" he started. "But the second and third arrow have to _split_ the previous arrow that you shot in _half_."

_Oh, well, great. Just what I can't do. _Riza thought bitterly. She will try her luck, even if the chances of her succeeding were pretty slim. This specific _trick_ was one she wasn't particularly good at, even splitting one arrow took immense focus, and she didn't practice it much either because it wasn't practical in combat. But there was no use in just resigning after coming a long way.

"Who wants to go first?" The referee asked. The Orc turned to Riza. "Ladies first," he muttered gruffly, but not unkindly. Hawkeye huffed and stepped up to the circle in the gravel. The referee handed her a quiver with three arrows. She took one out and aimed carefully, waiting for the referee's call.

"Ready? Aim well! Alright good, your ten seconds begin…_now_."

Riza released the bowstring, and the arrow whizzed through the air and hit the target with a crisp _thwump_. By the time it hit she was already drawing and readying her next arrow. She aimed, taking a very deep breath. Once satisfied with her aim, she released the bowstring. Luckily, the second arrow split the first smoothly. Some applause was heard from the spectators. Slight relief washed over her as she aimed the third arrow. She took slow and steady breathes to calm herself and avoid making her arms shake from strain and nervousness.

_Can't be more than four seconds left. _The second arrow was slightly crooked, making it very difficult to pinpoint where to aim. Nevertheless, Riza took her chances and slipped her fingers off the bowstring…

…The third arrow hit the target, grazing and narrowly missing the second one. Her shoulders slumped, she heard some people applaud. She walked to the referee, placed her bow in the cart, and handed him the quiver.

"Well, you haven't lost yet until we know if the Orc will succeed!" He said, winking at her while handing another quiver with three arrows to the Orc. The Orc turned around and walked up to the line, ignoring the referee's comment. He readied the first arrow.

Riza quickly strode out of the spectator's view, and sat down on a tree stump by the bridge leading out of Morthal. She turned to watch the Orc, who was already on his third arrow. His movements agile and smooth, he aimed and fired, splitting his second arrow perfectly. The whole ordeal couldn't have possibly taken more than six seconds. _Amazing skill, probably comes with a lifetime of experience… _She thought to herself with slight envy, but more so admiration. Loud applause was heard, and someone even whistled. She blinked in surprise when the Orc turned to walk towards her. Riza quickly stood up.

The Orc extended his arm. "Good match," he said gruffly. Riza apprehensively took his hand and shook it.

"…Yes, it was," she replied carefully. Not that she didn't agree, but with the Orc's menacing demeanour she felt like she had no room to disagree. He let go of her hand and walked away to claim his prize.

One of the referee's helpers ran up to her with a quiver full of at least twenty steel arrows.

"Prize for second place!" She chirped and handed it to Riza.

"Thank you," Riza answered. She accepted the token and took the quiver. The assistant nodded and ran off, probably to award the Imperial woman with something. Riza looked at the quiver with a slight look of disappointment; she really did expect gold...

_It's not money, but at least this means I won't have to spend more on arrows,_ she mused to herself and sat back down on the stump, _but now I have to figure out where to get the money, and I'm afraid my chances are growing rather slim…_

And it was over. Roy couldn't help but be very impressed with the Orc. He had seen some great bowmen before, and it didn't take much wit to tell this one had years and years of practice. It was amazing how smoothly and quickly the archer's arms moved despite his bulkiness. Mustang wasn't even bothered by his unfriendly look. Skills like that could attract other people willing to take on a capable companion, and Roy was not going to waste a single second.

He headed straight to the Orc who was standing near the rest of the competitors, looking maybe a tiny bit more inclined to speak than before. He did win the grand prize of two hundred fifty septims after all…

"Impressive shooting." Roy pushed back his hood, revealing his face for politeness' sake. It wasn't the best idea to invite someone into a partnership without showing your face. "It's not every day I see such superb aim."

The Orc regarded him with a tint of coldness in his narrow eyes. "…Thank you. But what's my skill to you, traveler?" His voice was cool as well, but considering that half (or more) of Skyrim held Roy's College in abhorrence for something they haven't even done, such a demeanour was hardly news.

"My name is Roy Mustang, I am the headmaster of College of Winterhold. It so happens that I am looking for a travelling companion. I could very much use that aim of yours. For a fair price, of course."

"Not interested." The voice came from behind Roy before he had a chance to close his mouth, rough and dry...

He turned to face another Orc who was taller that the Arch Mage by at least two heads. Roy was about to inquire why is he sticking his nose into someone else's business proposition, but then the winner of the competition spoke up.

"I already have a companion. There is nothing to discuss. You will have to try your luck with someone else, mage."

The Orcs stood beside each other now, looking twice as menacing as before. Despite the look that the first Orc gave to Roy, Mustang could swear it looked slightly apologetic. It was clear though that their decision is firm, and he decided it best to excuse himself and walk away.

He was searching the area for the second-last-standing-archer-woman.

_Oh, there she is, sitting on a tree trunk..._ _Well, at least she doesn't have anyone with her._ Roy started making his way through the crowding archers and spectators when he saw that the Imperial woman was standing no more than ten feet away from him. Seeing that the "second place" wasn't going anywhere just yet, Roy hurried over to the Imperial before she got into another argument with that Bosmer man…

"Hello there," he offered a smile. "That was some impressive shooting you did. Are you by any chance looking for a way to earn some money?"

The Imperial looked him over from head to toe before replying. "Oh, I might be. Why?"

"I am looking for an archer to be my traveling companion. My name is Roy Mustang, I'm with the College of Winterhold."

"So I thought, you look the type." Her voice changed to a somewhat mocking tone for an instant. "Sorry, I wouldn't fancy myself a company of a mage. The money is no matter," she added as Roy was about to say that he was willing to pay a good price for her services.

_Apparently she is one of __**those...**_ thought Roy bowing his head respectfully in a good-bye. He headed straight to the archer who won the second place, grateful that she didn't leave her spot.

It probably wasn't the right time and place, but Riza slid her new steel arrows out of the quiver to examine their quality. The quiver itself wasn't of very good so she decided to dispose of it later. _Well, whoever sharpened these obviously did a poor job, _she thought upon seeing some dull edges on several arrows, but the scratched metal suggested that someone had attempted to rub the steel with some stone. Some were only slightly sharp, not enough to efficiently puncture a bear's skin…or more importantly, mortally injure a bandit. _Suppose I'll deal with this later with my own tools._

Mustang stopped a couple of steps away, his face clearly indicating that he wished to speak to her. The contestant was still hooded, stopping Roy from making out her face especially because she was sitting down whilst he stayed standing.

As she was about to slide the arrows back into the quiver, Riza heard soft footfalls and shuffling of the glass blades getting louder as someone neared her. Deciding she wanted to avoid unnecessary eye contact and social interaction, Riza just picked up an arrow she already examined and pretended to be busy in order to avoid attracting this passerby's attention.

Well, at least until they stopped right in front of her. She could see their shadow on the ground; they weren't standing too far away, and were very obviously going to address her.

"Beg your pardon for the disturbance. I was very impressed by those archery skills of yours… Left in the awe, to be honest," he chuckled. "Perchance you wish to reveal your face so I can speak of a business offer I have for you?"

She really did impress him. But perhaps her face was hiding her older age (although it was doubtful judging by what he saw and could see) and such skills came merely from long years of experience.

_Why is he asking me to reveal my face? _She wondered in slight alarm. Riza really did not want to show her own face out in the open in a town like Morthal, but it would be suspicious if she kept her head down at all times. Slowly, Hawkeye looked up at the speaker and pushed her hood back only enough for sunlight to hit her face.

"Thank you for the compliment, though it is an exaggeration," Riza said and examined the man. Off the bat, she noted his cloak and the robes underneath it. The attire seemed far from something a novice mage would don on himself, so her assumption was that he must have attained high skill in the arcane arts. The second thing she noted was the shock of black hair on a seemingly young face.

_At the very least it's not another creepy old drunk giving me a "business offer." _And speaking of a business offer, Riza's first few assumptions of what he meant were not too impressive.

But instead of jumping to conclusions, she asked; "What type of business offer?"

When the woman pushed back her hood and lifted her face, Roy was utterly surprised. He could not have given her more than eighteen at a first glance, yet he just saw her win the second place in what he found a fairly challenging archery competition. The girl (as he saw that word more fit to describe her) was blonde-haired, her features rather charming; Roy was, however, too surprised by her young age to give that any thought. Besides, the whole purpose of starting a conversation with her was to get her to watch his back while he is risking his life, be it in the deepest Dwemer catacombs or high up on cold mountain trails; it was no matter how she looked.

_Although… I cannot help it but think that she reminds me of someone… Well, at least she looks the travelling type; Leather's a bit worn out, but 'tis better - means she's not fresh out of her cozy chair by the hearth._

"My name is Roy Mustang. I am the headmaster in the College of Winterhold." He wore his Arch Mage's robes under the heavy cloak fastened with a pin in shape of the sigil of his College. Hardly anyone could mistrust both the words and the attire; now if they did, there was a sure way to resolve the confusion. He doubted the need to cast spells to prove his identity this time; the girl didn't look stupid to him.

"I travel around the province, mainly for research. I am looking for a companion, specifically for a bowman, actually. Someone who would help me stay alive when things get dangerous. You appear to have more than enough skill to be of help." He paused a bit before adding; "Considering the risks, I would pay you a fair amount of money for your service."

With his eyes fixed upon her face as he waited for a reply, Roy couldn't rid himself off a feeling that they have met before… Or maybe he was just confusing himself. With his occupation, Mustang have made contact with so many people that sometimes he thought that everyone in the province have had a chance to exchange a few words with him.

Riza looked at him, wearing a dumbfounded expression. The words that jumped out at her were_ money _and _travel around_. Two things that she had been looking into the past week were a way to obtain money without having to resort selling her body, and a way to travel to greater distances. Now the opportunity presented itself in a form of a young mage, or at least, his visage suggested that he could not be older than thirty.

Disregarding that he is the Arch Mage, the name sounded vaguely familiar, and so did the title of occupation itself…as if someone had dropped it in a conversation several times, and she had half the heart to listen.

_Maybe Grandfather brought him up at some point when discussing the state of the Province… _Since it didn't strike her right away, Riza deemed it as unimportant. And aside from that, Roy didn't seem to recognize her, either, so it must have been hardly a subject of importance. She was unsure if Mustang would recognize her name or not, because surprisingly little people actually knew it, but those who did would probably dare to report her to a guard the instant she muttered it. It was probably due to the fact that her surname was different from the High King's. Most people were only aware that High King Grumman had a grand-daughter, and that was as far as the extent of their knowledge went.

_If anything, any sudden movements or a spark of recognition, I will break into a run and pray to Dibella that he won't catch up._

"Riza Hawkeye," she announced, getting up from the stump and sticking her hand out. The archer watched him carefully for any sign of recognition in his eyes, and continued speaking. "I have no qualms with your offer, it seems quite appealing, actually…" she said, and it briefly crossed her mind that she only needs to stick around long enough to find out what to do with the knowledge she possesses and carries around.

_Perhaps I should mention that right now…perhaps later. _His offer to pay a "fair" amount of money stopped her from saying anything to make him reconsider the proposition.

"I accept, on one condition…it's quite simple," Riza started, "I need to know that you'll provide me with quality arrows and...well, food." Perhaps it was her stomach speaking, as Hawkeye hasn't eaten anything since yesternight, however it was still something she needed guaranteed.

Roy shook her hand, his mind tasting the name. _"Riza Hawkeye"…_ It rang a bell, but which one of them? Roy couldn't quite tell with all these family names, and first names, and nicknames crammed into his head. He deemed it unimportant for the time being, especially because she has just agreed to accept his offer. But…

_I'll reflect on't at a later time._

Roy was openly startled at such a remarkably quick result. No "I have to think" or "I need to speak of this to my family". In fact, he did not even have to try to persuade her, a simple introduction and the offer itself seemed to have been more than enough.

"Uh...Oh, yes, yes, of course!" Mustang's reply to her condition was a bit late due to his puzzlement. "You do not need to worry about food, I do not fancy starving. Regarding arrows… I would only encourage you...and you will have the freedom of choice there, since I am no archer as you can tell...to get the very fine ones regardless of price, for the one obvious reason: they might one day save my neck."

Riza nodded, and retracted her hand. "It would be less expensive in the long run to buy higher quality arrows as they are more durable," she commented offhandedly. "I figured it would be better for me to select the arrows."

_Not stupid at all,_ Roy thought as the girl voiced her opinion on the arrows.

"Your condition, however, brings up something else I thought to discuss… My travels are not a light stroll that always begins and ends at an inn. I sometimes do go short on provisions, ofttimes cover great distances on foot in a single day, and occasionally with very few short stops for rest. I go about the Winterhold College business, and such as it is, it usually involves me taking great risks for items or information that many would deem worthless. Now, it is not expected of you to see the same value in the things I chase after, but if you decide to follow me, I need to know you are at least realizing the possibility of risking your life because of _my_ values. If that is clear enough and you are still willing, I am leaving tomorrow early in the morning. That should give you enough time to notify your relations and pack your belongings, I assume."

"Notify my- well, I'm not sure if it's noticeable but I'm not from here," Riza pointed out. "I have no one to notify, I've been travelling on my own for a while now," she half-lied.

_Two weeks isn't much, but for a person who just ran away from their own Grandfather, who is the High King, that is a pretty long time._

"As for the travelling long distances…I really do not mind. It works out better for me that way," she said. "Wait, if you're seeking various types of information, are you going to stop by libraries, archives, and similar places…?" she asked carefully. Riza didn't know much about the type of information she was looking for, but judging by what most of the citizens in her home province are doing in their lives, she could safely assume that most of them would deem the information she holds as worthless, just as Roy said about the things he seeks, and more importantly incomprehensible.

"Yes, I do stop at libraries and archives and such, very often. Sometimes I also break into those... But that's a rare case..." In all honesty, he never did actual stealing. Especially of books. He had a certain eccentric old man to thank for that, for Roy have never received a more shameful and tedious and prolonged punishment as he had for trying to smuggle some books out of the library in the Blue Palace.

Then again, "actual stealing" was said strictly speaking, because many of the things he took technically belonged to the dead. Some were stolen so many times that no one even remembered who stole it first and from whom and so there was no rightful owner. Many books that were now safely stored in the Winterhold College Library were kept away, locked up somewhere, with no access of simple mortals. Taking something, even if with force and violence, in the above-mentioned cases and some others, Roy did not consider "actual stealing".

"Ah, I see. Well then, that's good," Riza said and silently hoped that the Blue Palace library wasn't on the list of locations in his head, as it would lead directly to her grandfather.

"Are you sure there aren't any family members who need to know you are leaving for a dangerous adventure with a mage?" He asked. It was not unusual for a young person like Riza to travel alone, but he was trying to make sure that no one will want his head on a spike for "stealing their daughter". "I would not like to get in trouble because of overlooking such things."

Riza nodded. Roy paused a second or two before asking something that was on his mind, and not only because he was hiring her as an archer, however might he refuse to admit it to himself.

"Do you mind telling me truthfully how old you are?"

"Oh, I'm…" Riza paused, she hesitated to tell him her age as ofttimes she would be branded off as too immature to understand certain things, even if by her age women were typically independent. Though it was probably way different in her case. Shaking her head inwardly, she decided it would be best to just tell him. Mustang might get suspicious if she refuses to speak and think she is a minor. Her pause to think made it impossible to lie, and she doubted she could pass for a larger number.

"It's rather rude to ask a women her age upfront without telling your own first. But never-mind that, I'll let it slide," she joked and then added, "I am nineteen years old, and yes, I truly have no one to notify of my leave. I don't have any parents or siblings, and if I did, it would be rather strange if I wasn't capable of making my own decisions," Riza stated, and then added, "there is absolutely no reason why you should get in trouble by whisking me away to cover your back while you rifle through ancient caves for some new discoveries." _However, __**I**__ will get in trouble, and into a lot of it too._

_No family huh… That does sound convenient,_ Roy thought. But well, even if she had some family that would try to find her and get on Mustang's case, he wasn't exactly planning to enslave her or something of that nature. They would not have grounds to get him in trouble, really. If anything, he was treating this Hawkeye girl rather formally.

Roy smiled apologetically when she said that he was being rude. True enough, he was, but... Well, the question bothered him a bit, and he did his best to word it as politely as possible. Her answer was….very unexpected.

"You're nineteen?" echoed he, after blinking once or twice to register the information. _But you look no older than eighteen, and even that I would call a stretch!_ Roy almost blurted out. "Really? … I mean, you look slightly younger, that is why I assumed you would need approval of... Well, never mind that." Riza caught herself nearly frowning at his reaction.

"Yes, nineteen. Twenty in a bit less than three months," she said. Mustang was not even that much taller than her, slightly more than half a head, so his surprise was quite unsettling. "I agree, never-mind it, approval of a third party would be the last thing to worry about," Hawkeye concluded stiffly, though still feeding him a white lie.

_Apparently I ruffled some feathers there…_ thought Roy, seeing his soon-to-be-companion frown. It didn't quite matter to him if she disliked his question or his treatment of her in general. He could not have been more frank, but could have been much more rude. He deemed such treatment fair enough.

It wasn't that Riza was offended by his response, but reactions like these made her feel like she might not be taken seriously. Which surely, and Mustang and in fact anyone else would probably agree, is not a pleasant notion.

Roy ran his hair through his hair to shake off the sudden bit of awkwardness; it took him a moment to remember she suggested that he tell his own age as well.

"As for my age… I am twenty-nine."

"Twenty-nine? That's pretty young for an Arch Mage, at least as far as I know." Riza shifted in her spot and finally slid her steel arrows back into the quiver, then swung it over her shoulder and hoisted it on her back.

"You are not the first one to note that much," Mustang said as she commented on his age.

"Hm, probably not, I figured I'm not telling you anything new here…But I would be lying if I said your age and occupation are surprising to me, or at all that impressive or unbelievable," she said rather plainly. "Citizens of this province aren't used to oddities, as they are typically feared, so it might be to them."_Be it genius, mad, powerful, or a combination of all…_ Riza wasn't sure if she was speaking entirely out of common sense, or past experience. Perhaps a bit of both.

People did not seem to be pleased with him taking such a high position at such a young age. He heard lots of "Green as grass", "Pup like you can't be the Arch Mage", "Lad's probably lyen, eh" and "It ought to be right that everyone is crazy in that College for choosing a boy for a headmaster," especially the first year after he was appointed. It has been getting on his nerves for some time now, but Riza did not seem to have meant that as an insult, and Roy did not react angrily.

"Alright well...Until tomorrow, then? I believe you won't be needing me for the remainder of today, so let us just arrange the meeting time and place right now and go about our own business until that time arrives," Riza interjected, feeling that they haven't much more to discuss on the matter.

"Yes, you are right. I am staying at the Moorside Inn. I will be waiting for you an hour after the dawn breaks on the morrow. Come with all your things ready and do not be late."

"That is where I am currently staying - or well, there are no other lodgings in this city, so naturally…" she sighed. "Alright then, I will not be late, you can count on that," Riza said with finality, turning to walk past him. "See you on the morrow, then."

"'Til then," said Roy, watching Riza go. He let his eyes stay on her figure for few seconds and then hastily turned away, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. He still didn't believe she agreed _that_ quickly. It was almost too good to be true - such a skilled young person, willing and able to join right on the next day. Roy also supposed he will not have to pay her hundreds and hundreds of septims; she didn't appear the greedy type, and judging by her voiced condition, Mustang thought it to take just the fair pay that he had promised.

Roy didn't stay around for too long. He headed for the forest, intending to spend a few hours casting spells. He preferred to practice away from people for obvious reasons. There wasn't much to do in Morthal anyway. He wasn't going to visit the Jarl, that old woman always gave him an uneasy feeling. There were no College matters to deal with at the moment, or any research to attend to. Best he could do was to plan out his (or, well, probably their, since Hawkeye will be joining him) path after Morthal. But that could wait a few hours.

When Roy got back it was late afternoon. He ordered food and spent the rest of the evening with his map and an enchanting book; the time passed quickly, and before long it was pitch-dark outside the window…

What Riza did for the remainder of the day was a combination of things. Firstly, she went back to the inn with the intention of picking up her bow and leaving to shoot. But a courier showed up with a book for her, one that she had almost forgotten that she ordered from Dragon Bridge. It always amazed her that a Courier will find a person to deliver mail to no matter where they are...

With that, she went back to her inn room and rifled through the book for what seemed like three hours…only to find nothing of relevance to the information she needed. Frustrated, she packed it away and went out to practice her shooting as she initially planned.

By the time Riza returned to the inn (she hit a rabbit and somehow managed to sell it for a couple of coins; a rare occasion) it was late evening, and she was weary from the day's events. Hawkeye hit the sack in a hurry to get the day over with, but not before sharpening her new steel arrows to ready them for a new journey.

* * *

**So our lovely couple met, great. If you've read this carefully you probably noticed a few subtle hints dropped about how Roy "****_sees things_****".**

**I've posted the note on the first chapter that everyone should be aware that Riza's age has been changed, and as you found out, she is nineteen. Roy is twenty nine. Gross? Sure. But keep in mind the time period, their ages were changed more for convenience, for things that will rise in the story later... and there is always our right for creative freedom~**

**If you are not willing to wait for updates, please follow the blogs, I've posted the links on the end note of the previous chapter (but believe me we take our sweet time replying and the text is edited A LOT before getting posted here, so you'd be better off reading it on FFN).**

**- Insincerely, ****_The Queen of Tea_**

**PLEASE REVIEW! It will be appreciated.**

**Also sorry about the incredibly long author notes, I know I have a lot of things to say to readers...**


	3. 18th of Morning Star

**Author's note: **

**Hellloooooo! **

**The Amazing Pillow is here! I finally got around to writing a commentary, and I apologize for leaving all of the work for The Queen of Tea and making it seem like I am a total slacker (Which is correct to some degree). I was very happy to see that some of you read and reviewed our story. Seriously, it is great to see feedback after keeping this as our little secret for a long time. **

**Heads up, I will probably write comments in a less formal tone than The Queen of Tea (I read her notes for previous chapters, she sounds so responsible; which is great, because someone has to be). Won't say I am more likely to drop a profanity, but I am more likely to derp around and use words that do not exist. **

_**Oh the paperwork~ **_

_**At least I am not as much of a procrastinator as Mustang. . . I think. **_

**All I can say about the third chapter of ****_Of Magic and Dragons Among Other Lores_**** is that if you are expecting some heated action in this one, you will have to be patient. Hopefully though, it intrigues you to keep reading and commenting.**

**Enjoy!**

**- ****_The Amazing Pillow_**

**-Author's note ends-**

**Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim belong to Hiromu Arakawa and Bethesda Softworks, respectively.**

**Rating: M for violence, sexual content in later chapters, coarse language and other mature themes.**

**Pairing: Royai (Roy X Riza), more will show up in later chapters.**

* * *

**_4th Era, Year 201, 18th of Morning Star (January)_**

The morning commenced with another skirmish between "Stormcloacks" and "Imperials". Roy really wondered why the children enjoyed playing outside of his door the most and more importantly, _how_ were they up this early. Suppressing the urge to scare them off with a fire spell and then fall back asleep, he got up, got dressed, and slowly started collecting his things. Mid-process Roy remembered that he had to change the bandages on his still-healing shoulder. Groaning in annoyance, Mustang re-bandaged the arm, happy at least that it seemed to be healing well. He then finished collecting his belongings and went out into the common hall of the inn, intending to get a hot breakfast.

It was almost the agreed time when he finished and leaned back in his seat in the corner. Roy liked corners; it was always so dark and quiet there that he could sometimes be practically invisible without having to cast a spell. But corners were useful only in some cases; he needed to be noticeable now. Roy got up and walked over to the counter, scanning the room for Riza Hawkeye, thinking that she might already be sitting somewhere there, breaking fast as well.

Once more, Riza awoke that morning to the sound of screaming and stomping from outside her door. A small recollection of the exact same thing happening yestermorning stopped her from getting alarmed. Instead of grabbing her bow and running out, she groaned and turned over in her bed. Knowing that she won't be able to slip back into slumber once awakened, Riza eventually swung her legs off the edge of the bed. The wood squeaked, threatening to - yet never doing so - cave in on its occupants' weight.

The young archer held back a yawn and looked outside the dusty window.

_It is still dark out, yet children are up playing? _She thought, _When I was their age, I could only dream to get up this early in order to play with others, rather than go out to hunt and search for medicinal herbs…not to mention in the middle of nowhere where bandits and predators lurked. Listen to me,_ _I sound like an old woman, thinking these kinds of things..._

Sighing inwardly, Riza straightened up and started getting dressed, lazily slipping on some warm garments (as it is wintertime and Skyrim weather is very harsh) and strapping leather armor over them, then topping it off with her custom short cape that reached down to her backside in length.

_Judging by the colour of the sky, I am far from late._

Riza tied her boots and pulled her hood up, grabbed her bow and quiver (now contained both the new and old arrows), as well as her traveling bag, which was packed surprisingly lightly for an adventurer.

Once out the door, Riza had a child run straight into her. The boy's head collided with her upper chest, releasing a soft _Oomf! _sound. Riza stumbled back two steps out of sheer surprise. The kid gave her a terrified look and ran off. She watched him disappear down the end of the hall, all the while thinking how odd children are becoming nowadays.

_What is the occasion that I keep being confronted by, if nothing else, children? _she said to herself, and brushed the thought away just as quickly as it appeared.

Finally, she made it to the main hall. Handing back the key to the innkeeper (_Jonna, was it?_), she simultaneously ordered a sweet roll and an apple, not intending to consume anything grand, she would begin walking for hours in a matter of minutes. Hesitantly, Riza sat down at the counter so she would be visible enough for the mage to notice from any corner of the inn, as opposed to getting lost in the mess of travelers crowding at the tables. Even in that case, however, her bow probably would stick out enough to make it difficult to miss in a crowd.

And there she was, sitting at the counter. It took Roy only a couple of seconds to locate the archer; her bow made a nice landmark. The Arch Mage made his way to Hawkeye, noticing that the main hall was filling with yawning customers. Roy was even a little glad the children (which were quickly hushed shortly after Roy left his room) woke him up - with this many people staying overnight it will soon be hard to get a quiet place for breakfast.

"I see you are true to your promises." Roy walked over Riza's side, lightly tapping her on the shoulder as he stepped between her seat and the next one.

"Good morning to you too." Riza turned her head towards the mage. "Of course, I wouldn't be late," she replied and took a small bite of her apple, the fruit was half finished by the time he came over. "Although," she swallowed. "I was pretty sure you would be at least a little tardy." She wasn't serious, of course.

Roy smiled at her "Ah yes, good morning", and let out a short chuckle at the joke.

_Well she seems to be an easy person to get along with…_ _Or at least the one with some sense of humour, which never really hurts. _

"The kids made certain I have plenty of time to get ready."

_Oh, so those children woke him as well…it's only for the best methinks,_ thought she to herself.

"Yes, they were rather loud today morning. I think the whole inn is grateful, or ungrateful, for that wake-up call," she commented offhandedly. Finishing her apple quickly, she decided to save the sweetroll for later.

"So, are we leaving now, then?" Riza asked and carefully packed her sweetroll away in her bag.

"Yes, we are." He nodded, adjusting the straps of his travelling bag under his cloak. "Since you seem to be still as willing as yesterday." He pulled his hood up, taking a step away from the counter.

"I hope you do not fatigue easily, we have at least four hours before the next rest."

"Good," Riza said and got up from her chair. "I see no point in sticking around here for much longer anyway."

She turned to walk away from the counter but Mustang was in the way, in the space between two chairs. Hawkeye stood a bit less than a foot of a distance in front of him, waiting for the Mage to move. Behind her was a wooden wall.

"…No, I do not tire easily. Long hours of travel suit me fine, and…do you mind?" She asked and motioned him to move out of the way, not rudely.

"Oh! Not at all…" It finally dawned on Roy that he is blocking her way, and so he hurried to take a step back, letting Hawkeye pass. "I'm glad to hear that," Roy said. Just then he caught a glimpse of flurrying snow drift inside when someone walked in through the inn door.

"Follow, then," he did not say the words as a command, rather as a calling. It was, of course, needless - not like he expected the girl to run off any second… Mustang headed to the main doors and pushed them open, stepping into a very fine winter morning. He took a deep breath of cold air and took the first step away from the Moorside Inn.

* * *

**So where do Roy and Riza go from here? What awaits them on their journey? How will their relationship progress? Answers to these and other questions you will find in the upcoming chapter!**

**Congratulations, readers! You are now officially through the more tedious part of this (in my opinion). **

**Once again, I remind you that if you are running short on patience, you can follow our tumblr RP blogs, links to which are located in the end note of the first chapter. Please stay with us, keep reading and reviewing, and we will try our best not to disappoint you!**

**- The Amazing Pillow**


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